Brother Dear
by Lilliana Greenleaf
Summary: This is the story of the day it all went wrong. Kaoru was just about sick of his brother ignoring him in favour of Haruhi. He couldn't take it anymore. He just wanted to die. Well, on this day, his wish almost came true. The entire world was falling apart, literally, and the few lucky survivors of the initial fallout now have to survive on their own in the cold, dark world, alone.
1. Chapter 1

"Wow, you two look exactly the same!"

It never changed for the Hitachiin twins. No one could ever tell them apart except for themselves. No one understood what it was like to live apart from everyone else. Well, no one except Haruhi.

Haruhi. Kaoru hated her. Well, no, he didn't. He could never hate her. Both twins had fallen for the female host, because she was the only one who had broken into their little world, but Hikaru had fallen harder, and Kaoru blamed Haruhi for it. He wasn't normally the jealous twin, but sometimes it just consumed him in a burning rage that would make him throw things and shout and carry on, just like Hikaru when he was angry. He wanted to go back, back before Haruhi, back before the host club, when it was just him and his brother.

There's been a great speculation on the nature of the Hitachiin twin's relationship. Most of the fangirls chose to believe it's a raging relationship full of lust and angst and late-night games, and things of the sort. However, that isn't the case. While their relationship certainly went beyond the ties of brotherhood, it wasn't a lustful thing at all. Their relationship was best described as innocent, pure, sweet, loving, and not lustful at all. They rarely even kissed, and most definitely had never done any of the things that they suggested to their guests. No, they prefered to cuddle by a fire and talk quietly, or hold hands, and occasionally give sweet kisses on the cheek or lips, but never anything beyond that. Kaoru believed anything more would end up driving the two apart, and Hikaru believed it would tarnish the way he viewed his twin, so they didn't. They just loved each other; a sweet, simple love that's hard to find.

That is, until Haruhi came along. Kaoru loved Haruhi, but he knew it was because of her that Hikaru no longer kissed him, and didn't hold his hand as often. Kaoru knew it was because of her that Kaoru didn't look at his brother to watch his facial expressions as much anymore. It wasn't her fault, and he knew that, but he hated her and loved her at the same time. It was an awful feeling.

Kaoru also blamed his brother for betraying him. Hikaru was supposed to love him, and him alone. It wasn't fair that he often caught Hikaru gazing at Haruhi with such an innocent longing that it made Kaoru feel sick. Hikaru used to look at him like that. Not anymore.

But most of all, Kaoru blamed himself. He blamed himself for being just like his brother, mesmerized by the spell Haruhi seemed to have put on them. For letting his feelings for Hikaru fall through the cracks as his attention focused on something else. For allowing himself to love Haruhi as he loved Hikaru.

They really were identical.

It was a day like any other, the day that everything fell apart. The twins walked into the host club, only to be greeted by Tamaki who was barely managing to not spill two cups of coffee. "Haruhi got a new kind of coffee! Taste!" The twins took the teacups, took a sip, and looked at each other. It didn't taste any different to them. They turned back to Tamaki and said in perfect unison "it tastes good. You can definitely tell the difference."

Tamaki took the cups from them and bounced off to inform Kyoya of the opinion the twins had given him. The two brothers went and sat on the couch they always sat on, as usual. And, as usual, they were identical, from the way they crossed their legs and leaned on their elbows, to the way they looked around the room with apparent boredom, to the way they let out a soft sigh when they saw nothing that interested them. It was always the same. Every day seemed identical, just like them.

"Hikaru?" Kaoru glanced at his brother, who seemed distracted. When Hikaru didn't answer, Kaoru followed his gaze, only to find that his eyes landed on Haruhi. Kaoru frowned a bit, but soon got caught up watching her as well. Kaoru enjoyed watching Haruhi, and not in the perverted sense that most people would assumed. He loved watching her as he loved watching Hikaru; just taking in her facial expressions and the way she moved and the way she laughed, it was all so wonderful to him. He enjoyed watching her scold Tamaki with that coldness that had a soft gentleness behind it. He loved learning all her little quirks and the way she viewed the world, and he absolutely adored it when she would mutter "these damn rich people" because he knew he didn't understand her world and he wanted to know more.

But most of all, he loved watching her smile. It wasn't what he would call a perfect smile, like in the movies, and he doubted he would like her with red lipstick. It was a soft, genuine smile that made his heart flutter and his stomach do flips, just like when Hikaru smiled.

Just like Hikaru.

Kaoru managed to pay attention as various customers flowed through the host club. He flirted with them, and with his brother. He liked flirting with girls, due to his old habit of treating people like toys, and he liked flirting with his brother for obvious reasons. When Hikaru would pull him close and whisper suggestively in his ear, he would blush every time, and when Hikaru would look into his eyes with a lustful gaze, it all felt so wonderful, and so exciting, and so... and so...

Fake.

It was all fake. Yes, Hikaru loved him, or he used to, but it wasn't like this. Lust was never part of the equation. And honestly, Kaoru began to feel like real love wasn't either. Ever since Haruhi came along, it was more like an obligation. Their cuddles had no true meaning, their soft words whispered by the fire were empty, their hands didn't fit together quite right anymore, it was all wrong, and it made Kaoru want to die.

Yes, now that Kaoru thought about it, as he watched the guests slowly leave after the host club ended for the day, he realized that he wanted to die. It would make things easier for him, because he wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore. It would make things easier for Hikaru, because he wouldn't have to chose between his brother and Haruhi, and it would make things easier for Haruhi, because you can't have a relationship between three people; one would be left out.

Hikaru would never forgive him if he knew what he was thinking. Kaoru let out a soft sigh of discontent. "Hikaru, let's go." Hikaru looked at him. "Why? Don't you want to stick around for a while?" Kaoru gave him a look, and Hikaru instantly stood. "Alright, we'll go." After saying a brief goodbye, the two left. The only one to notice that something was off was, to Kaoru's luck, Haruhi.

She caught up with them in the hall, grabbing the sleeves of their blazers. "Hey, what's wrong with you two? You never miss out on a chance to mess with Tamaki." Kaoru averted his gaze, while Hikaru put on a fake smile. "We just wanted to leave early today, that's all." Haruhi nodded and asked "are you sure everything's alright?" Hikaru laughed lightly. "I'll tell you what, if you come home with us and have tea, will you believe us that everything is just fine?" Kaoru shot a glare at his brother. He nearly strangled the older twin when Haruhi said "alright, that sounds fair." On any other day, she would have told them no. Was it possible that Haruhi was falling for Hikaru as well?

It never crossed Kaoru's mind that it could be him instead of his brother.

Kaoru followed the two to the limo, feeling a bit left out. He tried to push down the jealousy, but it spiked every time Hikaru laughed and every time Haruhi smiled at him. Kaoru opened the door himself and got into the limo, before looking at the other two. "Are you coming?" Hikaru got that look on his face. it was a look Kaoru had been forced to get familiar with. It was a desperate, pleading look that Hikaru only got when he wanted to be alone with Haruhi. Hikaru said "why don't we walk?" Haruhi nodded in agreement. "Come walk with us, Kaoru." Kaoru had never hated them both so much, and it made him feel terrible.

Kaoru said "you go ahead. Meet me there." He closed the door and had the driver pull away. As he sat there in the back seat, fuming with anger and jealousy, Kaoru began to cry. Hot, angry tears streamed down his cheeks and it was suddenly very hard to breathe. "Would you even notice if I was gone?" He didn't know who he was talking to at that point. His clenched fists wrinkled the knees of his pants and his tears soaked his thighs. His orange-ish hair, identical to his brother's, hung in his face as he fell apart right there in the limo.

Suddenly, the whole car shook. Kaoru looked up at the driver, wiping his tears. "My apologies, young master. I must have hit a bump in the road." Kaoru didn't answer. He just turned to stare out the window, forcing his tears back.

He got out when they arrived. He went straight into the house, not even bothering to wait outside for Hikaru and Haruhi. He tossed his bag down by the door and kicked off his shoes. He went up to his room and into the bathroom and ran a hot bath. He put in his favourite lavender scented bubbles. They were Hikaru's favourite, as well. He got in the bath, sinking to his nose in the warm bubbly bliss, and listened with jaded ears as Hikaru and Haruhi entered the house.

He listened to them talk about a lot of small things, like homework and college and how much of a moron Tamaki could be. It wasn't until an hour later that he realized that neither one of them had even mentioned him.

Kaoru got out of the bath, dried off, and put on some normal clothes before heading downstairs. He peered into the kitchen where Haruhi and Hikaru were having tea. He got terribly jealous again. "Hikaru." They looked over at him. "Yes, Kaoru?" "Can I talk to you for a minute?" He tried to keep the tremors out of his voice. Hikaru nodded and the two went into another room, leaving Haruhi alone.

"What is it, Kaoru?" Hikaru seemed a bit annoyed, probably because he wasn't with Haruhi. Kaoru took a deep breath, stepped close to his brother, and kissed him. It was the first time Kaoru had ever initiated a kiss. But it nearly broke his heart when Hikaru pulled away. Kaoru stepped back. "Nothing?" Hikaru shook his head. Kaoru looked down at his feet. "I hate you."

He instantly regretted saying it, but he couldn't take it back. Hikaru just stared at him, dumbfounded. "What?" Kaoru could no longer hold himself back. He began shouting as uncontrollable tears ran down his face. "I hate you! I hate her! Am I not good enough for you anymore? Why does she like you better? Why do you like her better! We're identical, so why can't it be me? Why don't you kiss me anymore!? Why don't you hold my hand!? I can't stand it anymore, Hikaru, I just want to die!"

At that moment, Kaoru nearly got his wish. Just like before, in the limo, the ground jolted, but it didn't stop there. Kaoru fell as the entire house began to shake, and Hikaru barely managed to stay on his feet. Haruhi stumbled into the room, shouting "what is going on!?" Then there was a loud cracking noise, like the entire house was about to split in two, and the ground opened up right beneath Kaoru's feet. Kaoru let out a silent scream as he plummeted downward towards something that glowed orange and red and was very hot. Haruhi fell with him.

Their descent suddenly halted when Hikaru dove and grabbed both of their hands, barely managing to stop them from plummeting to their deaths. Haruhi held tight, and Kaoru looked up at his twin. He realized the situation, and became very sad.

"You can't hold us both."

...

Okay first chapter done! What do you think?


	2. Chapter 2

"You can't hold us both."

A look of horrible realization crossed over Hikaru's face. It was true, he wasn't strong enough to pull them both up. Kaoru looked at Haruhi, who seemed terrified. "Hikaru, pull us up!" Hikaru tried and tried, but he could barely lift them two inches. Their combined weight was just too much for him.

And they were starting to slip.

"Hikaru, you have to let me go." Kaoru was surprised to hear himself say it, but he knew it was true. "Kaoru, no!" Hikaru tried again to pull them up, but to no avail. "I wont let you fall!" Kaoru looked up at his brother. "What's the point? You don't love me anymore." Hikaru shook his head. "I do, Kaoru! I'm just confused! Come on, I can get you both up!" "Pull her up or you'll lose us both." Hikaru began to cry, shaking his head. "No! Why did this have to happen?!"

Kaoru felt his hand slipping, and could clearly see Haruhi's fingers sliding through Hikaru's hand. Kaoru took a deep breath and prepared himself to let go. They would be better off without him, right?

Right?

"Hikaru! Kaoru! Haruhi!" Suddenly, there was someone grabbing Haruhi's arm with both hands, and Hikaru pulled Kaoru up and away from the edge of the crack. Haruhi coughed and hugged whoever thir savior was. Kaoru turned to see that it was none other than the king himself. "Tamaki..." Haruhi trembled. A storm had begun to pick up outside and only added to the terrible rumbling of the ground. Kaoru got to his feet shakily, pulling Hikaru up with him. "We can't stay here. We have to get moving." Tamaki nodded in agreement and helped Haruhi to stand. "It's alright, princess, I'll keep you safe."

The small band made their way over other little cracks in the floor to the kitchen to grab what food they could carry. They stuffed it into some bags, getting mostly canned food that the servants ate, and got out of the house, just as the entire thing collapsed. Kaoru whimpered at the loss of his home. Hikaru grabbed his hand. "We have to get somewhere safe." Kaoru could feel the rough brace against his palm. He nodded and the two followed Tamaki and Haruhi out into the quickly escalating storm.

"Tamaki, slow down!" Hikaru pulled Kaoru against the wind. Haruhi reached out and grabbed Hikaru's hand while her other held Tamaki's. They formed a chain, pushing against the wind towards Tamaki's home. "My house has an underground bunker. We can wait out the storm there!"

It seemed to take them forever to get to Tamaki's, and by then, they were too exhausted to stand. They crawled to the bunker, avoiding the growing cracks. "What if the bunker cracks?" Hikaru asked the head of the host club. Tamaki shook his head. "It shouldn't. It seems like the worst of the cracks are over." The wind began to pick up even more, and a horrible sound, like a freight train, filled the air. Haruhi cried out "there's a tornado!" Kaoru looked over his shoulder and sure enough, a tornado carrying lava from the cracks was moving towards them at an alarming rate. The group crawled faster. Tamaki pulled on a heavy iron door in the ground. Hikaru crawled over and helped him while Kaoru held Haruhi close and covered her ears.

They slid into the bunker and pulled the door shut just as the tornado passed over them. The rattling of the door terrified them, what if it opened? They scooted farther back into the small bunker, huddling close to each other in a terrified state. Haruhi buried her face in Kaoru's chest as more thunder rang out. The bunker rattled and wailed as if it was going to be ripped apart at any second.

This went on for hours on end. Even after lighting a candle they found, none of them slept, despite their exhaustion. What was happening? Why was the world falling apart? Was this what they called the apocalypse?

There wasn't anything else it could be.

Despite the situation, Kaoru couldn't help but think about what he had said before the ground had tried to swallow him. He felt terrible for it, and wanted to apologize to Hikaru. He turned to Hikaru, his mouth open to say his brother's name, then stopped. Hikaru was staring right back at him.

When you've been with someone your whole life, you learn to have conversations without words, and that's exactly what these twins did. As Kaoru looked into his twin's eyes, he realized that yes, Hikaru did still love him, but Hikaru was confused. Kaoru told Hikaru how sorry he was, and how much he wanted to be with Hikaru. Hikaru told Kaoru how scared he was, and how much pain he was in. Kaoru reached for his twin's hand, but caught a hold of the rough brace instead.

Realization hit him like a train. He remembered how Hikaru had held both Kaoru and Haruhi up when they had fallen. Haruhi's weight on his arm must have rebroken it. "Hikaru..." His whisper couldn't be heard over the rattling of the iron door, but the meaning was clear enough. Hikaru averted his gaze and said something. Kaoru was able to read his lips. "It hurts."

He gently lifted his brother's arm onto his lap and slid the brace off. He winced just looking at the swollen purple flesh. "Hikaru..." "I couldn't let her go." Hikaru had laid his head on Kaoru's shoulder, making it easier to hear. Kaoru could feel his heart pounding, but he had to ignore it for now, for the sake of his brother. He wished Kyoya were there.

"I think I'm going to have to reset it." Hikaru let out a groan, and understandably so. They both knew it was going to hurt the older twin, and hurt a lot. Kaoru gently moved Haruhi to lean on Tamaki. She looked at him questioningly. Kaoru simply motioned to Hikaru's hand.

The look of guilt on Haruhi's face almost made him cry. He smiled sympathetically at her and mouthed "it's not your fault." It was clear she didn't believe him, but she smiled anyway.

Kaoru knelt in front of Hikaru, holding the injured arm out straight. He pulled off his shirt and have it to Hikaru to bite on. Once it was secure between his teeth, Kaoru held his arm, one hand just below the elbow, and the other on the wrist. He took a deep breath and gave a sharp tug. Hikaru let out an inhuman sound, biting on the shirt hard.

"Shit, it didn't work all the way." Kaoru rarely cursed, so it was clear he was upset. He hadn't pulled hard enough the first time in fear of hurting his brother, so he would have to repeat the process. "Bite the shirt again."

Kaoru held his breath and tugged hard. There was a series of sickening cracks, followed by something that sounded like flesh ripping. The sounds Hikaru made were almost enough to make Kaoru sick, from the whimpers to the screams to noises he couldn't even begin to describe, but he continued to pull until there was a few soft clicks and the arm instantly began to turn red instead of blue. The swelling started to go down, as well. Kaoru let out a sigh of relief and looked up at Hikaru.

He was crying.

Of course he was crying, that was probably the most painful thing he had ever experienced. Kaoru wiped away a few of his tears. "I'm so sorry. Just hold it still a little longer." Cradling the arm in his hand, Kaoru gently took the shirt out of Hikaru's mouth and wrapped it around the arm after tearing off a few strips he would use to make a splint. He then took the brace and put it over the shirt, making somewhat of a makeshift cast. "Try not to move it. I might be able to find some sticks or something down here." He set the arm down on Hikaru's leg.

Tamaki's voice reached his ears. "There should be some wooden planks over in the corner. I don't know if they're short enough, but you can check." Kaoru nodded in thanks and felt his way around the bunker, since the only light they had was that one candle that he had used to see Hikaru's arm. His hand brushed something hard and wooden. "Here they are." He jumped when the door clanged loudly. He took a few breaths to calm himself and his racing heart, and began to feel through the planks of wood. He got lucky, there were three pieces that were just the right size. He took two back with him.

He knelt in front of Hikaru once again and put one of the planks underneath the arm. "K-Kaoru?" The younger twin looked up from what he was doing. Hikaru looked like a frightened child. "Yes?" "Will this hurt again?" Kaoru chuckled despite himself and shook his head. "No, these planks are just to keep it still. It wont hurt to tie them together." Hikaru nodded, looking relieved. Kaoru put the second plank on top of the arm and used the shirt strips to tie them together, tight enough to where it was snug and wouldn't move, but not so tight that it would hurt Hikaru.

"There. Now we just need something like a sling." Haruhi spoke up then, since the thunder was fading a bit. "He can use my blazer." Kaoru started to respond, but Tamaki cut on once again. "No, Haruhi, you'll get cold. Here, use mine." Without disturbing Haruhi's head on his chest, Tamaki wriggled out of his blazer and handed it to Kaoru, who fashioned it into a makeshift sling. "There we go." It held up Hikaru's arm just right.

Hikaru used his good arm to reach out and cup Kaoru's cheek, a gesture that the younger twin hadn't been expecting. Kaoru looked at his brother, a little worried for some reason. Those worries soon disappeared when Hikaru smiled lovingly, making Kaoru blush a bit, and said "you're going to get cold. Come here."

Kaoru sat beside his brother, letting Hikaru wrap his arm around him. He laid his head on Hikaru's shoulder and closed his eyes, listening to the storms outside. The bunker no longer shook, so he was optimistic about things calming down. With the last thought that Hikaru still loved him, Kaoru let himself drift off to sleep.

...

Hey, thanks for your reviews guys! They really make my day! I hope you enjoyed and are as excited about the next chapter as I am!


	3. Chapter 3

Wow, thanks for your wonderful reviews, guys! They really make my day!

...

Hikaru, to put it simply, was afraid. It had been two days since the apocalypse began, and everything was still going wrong. Hikaru was quickly losing hope. The storm hadn't died down in the slightest, the candle had gone out and they didn't have a replacement, they had no food, no water, no bathroom, Tamaki hadn't said a word, and Haruhi's whimpers had gone silent. But that wasn't even the worst part. No, despite all of this, none of it caused Hikaru's main fear. But what did?

Kaoru hadn't been conscious for two days.

The younger twin's head hadn't even moved from it's spot on Hikaru's shoulder since he fixed the broken arm. His breathing was soft, (Hikaru could feel it on his neck), as if Kaoru was still asleep. But no one slept for two days during an apocalypse.

Hikaru, though he couldn't see, knew his vision was swimming. They were all dehydrated, and were probably going to die soon if they didn't get some water. Hikaru's stomach growled loudly and he winced at the pain, which was formerly unknown to him due to his lavish lifestyle. Hikaru's joints ached in protest as he moved his good arm from around his twin and attempted to shake him awake. His throat was dry and his voice was raspy as he called out "Kaoru" over and over, but to no avail. Kaoru wouldn't wake up.

"Tamaki?" Hikaru looked over to where he thought Tamaki might be. There was no answer. Hikaru tried to crawl over, holding his injured arm to his side, bouncing along on one arm. He felt something soft, like the fabric of the school pants, touch his hand. He grabbed onto it and tugged, calling out Tamaki's name again. There was a soft thud as Kaoru fell over, but the orange-haired devil never stirred. Hikaru began to cry, though no tears fell from lack of water. "Wake up. Haruhi?"

There was a soft rustle and something reached out, touching his hand. Hikaru squinted, but the impenetrable darkness didn't yield. Haruhi's soft voice rang out. "It's going to be okay, Hikaru." Hikaru laid down, resting his head on her lap, unable to kneel any longer. Soft hands stroked his hair gently, lulling him off into a delicate sleep that was broken every time thunder rang out.

...

Sorry this one was short, I'm just setting up for the next chapter. Hope you don't mind too much!


	4. Chapter 4

Tamaki jolted awake at the sound of a loud clang, different from the thunder that they were used to hearing. His eyes felt like they were sealed shut. He rubbed them, attempting to open them. When he did, he immediately wished he hadn't. Harsh light poured in from the open hatch, and vague shouts reached his ears. He shifted a bit, disturbing Haruhi. His vision was blurred, but the shape that was moving towards him was unmistakeable.

"Kyoya?"

The raven-headed man knelt in front of him. Tamaki could barely hear, but Kyoya's voice pierced through the clouds that seemed to fill his head. "Drink, Tamaki." Something cold and metallic was held to his lips. Tamaki drank, slowly at first, then snatching the bottle from Kyoya and gulping it down as fast as he could. He gasped once he was finished, as if he were waking up from a long sleep. As the sweet water settled in, he began to feel more aware and not quite as horrible as he had.

Tamaki watched as Kyoya did the same for Haruhi, then shook Hikaru awake. He knew it was Hikaru because he was still wearing the school uniform, while Kaoru was shirtless. Something seemed wrong in the back of Tamaki's mind, but it took a moment for him to realize what it was.

Where was Kaoru, anyway?

Tamaki looked around, peering over Haruhi's head. He saw a group of men surrounding something. They were talking softly, but rapidly, as if they were firing off commands and attempting to keep whatever they were surrounding calm. Then Tamaki caught a glimpse of familiar orange hair. He began to worry about the younger twin. "What's wrong with him?" He was surprised at how weak his own voice sounded.

Kyoya didn't answer at first. He seemed to be weighing his words, and avoiding Tamaki's gaze. Tamaki leaned toward him. "Kyoya?" Hikaru was the one who spoke, his voice trembling. "What's wrong with Kaoru?"

"Kaoru is dying." Kyoya let out a soft sigh, looking down at his knees. "He's cold, dehydrated, and was stressed before the event. I'm assuming he didn't eat the day the apocalypse started, so he was already weaker than you three were. Also, there appears to be something wrong with one of his lungs and his heart. We're doing the best we can, but..."

Not even a billion foghorns could have filled the silence that fell over them at that moment, but somehow, Hikaru's soft whisper did. "Kaoru..." Suddenly he was shouting his brother's name over and over, scrambling towards the group. Several men held him back, trying to calm him, but once Hikaru was set on something, nothing could stop him.

"Kaoru!" It nearly broke Tamaki's heart to hear Hikaru shout so desperately. He turned his head away as Hikaru broke through, leaning over his twin. He couldn't bear to watch, but he could hear Hikaru's angry sobs. Kyoya's voice rang out again, quietly, so Hikaru couldn't hear.

"He's gotten worse."

Kyoya stood, pulling Haruhi to her feet. Tamaki looked up at them. Kyoya said to him "we're going to get you out of here and to a safe place. We can go from there, alright?" Tamaki nodded. Haruhi leaned on Kyoya and limped out of the bunker. Tamaki was next. Even when he was out, into the wretched dusty air that made him cough until his sides ached, he could still hear Hikaru's cries. Most of them were incoherent, but Tamaki could clearly make out the one thing Hikaru repeated so many times.

"Please don't leave me!"


	5. Chapter 5

For those of you that were worried, I'm not going to kill Kaoru. Yet. Enjoy~

...

The days went by in a blur. When Hikaru was finally dragged away from Kaoru, he fell into an awful sort of blank silence that not even Haruhi could coax him out of. Kyoya took them to his family's underground police base, which, miraculously, had survived the initial earthquakes. Kaoru had been taken to a separate room, and Kyoya had yet to receive any updates from the few doctors that had survived.

After a few days, Haruhi had gone into a similar state as Kaoru, and had to be taken to the room where the doctors took care of the sick. After Tamaki told the doctors what happened, the doctors had told them that it was probably the effects of being held over one of the cracks. Hikaru hadn't had the same reaction because he had been just above the holes, which were found to be filled with the same gasses that now polluted the air. Kaoru was in a worst state because he hadn't eaten and was weaker.

Long story short, Kaoru and Haruhi were lucky to have survived the first night.

The base was also home to several survivors. Most of them were men, tough men, most in the Ootori police force, and a few from the military that happened to be on leave. There were several women, who did the cooking with the food that had either been stored or found and scavenged from homes that had just barely survived the fires. There were five children and one infant. They found new people every day, though most of them died before they could get treatment for the poisonous air. There were 37 survivors in all. Kyoya's family was not among them.

Mitsukuni Haninozuka and Takashi Morinozuka were still missing.

Hikaru barely ate, just enough to stay alive. He didn't have any will to live without his precious brother. It was like half of him was being slowly ripped away.

His twin was dying.

It hit him one day, like he hadn't realized it before. He stood and demanded to see Kaoru, but the doctors wouldn't allow it. They had to restrain him, kicking and screaming, crying out for his brother. "He's dying! Let me see him! Kaoru! Kaoru!"

Then there was shouts from inside the room where the dying men were put. Hikaru couldn't make out what they were saying, but one thing was clear.

"He's awake!"

Just then, not even ten thousand flaming bulls could have stopped Hikaru from bursting into that room, leaping over the cots, straight to his brother, who was coughing up blood and god knows what else. Hikaru ran over, shoving one of the doctors out of the way, and knelt in front of his brother. The mere sight of Kaoru was enough to stop him in his tracks.

Hikaru had never seen someone so pale.

Kaoru was white as a sheet. His cheeks were sunk in, and his eyes were cloudy. There were ugly blue blotches on his skin, like giant bruises all over him. He was still shirtless. There was dried blood caked around his ears, nose, and mouth, and though he had just woken from a coma, he looked like he hand't slept in weeks. "Kaoru..." Hikaru reached out to touch him. His brother's cheek was cold and clammy, as if he were already dead. He was still coughing up blood, and some black liquid that smelled horrible.

One of the doctors put his hand on Hikaru's shoulder. "Give him space. He has to get the black stuff out of his lungs." Hikaru stepped back and glanced over to Haruhi, who was on the cot beside Kaoru's. She was awake, staring blankly at the ceiling. There was a doctor kneeling over her, spooning soup into her mouth. Each swallow looked and sounded painful, and caused the girl to wince. Hikaru felt his gut twist. "Haruhi..."

Haruhi turned her head a bit, but she didn't respond otherwise.

Hikaru began to cry. "Why did this have to happen?" Kyoya appeared behind him. "They'll survive, Hikaru." Hikaru turned his head, sniffing. "How do you know? They look like they're already dead." Kyoya knelt beside him and pointed. "Haruhi already has her lungs cleared; she just has to heal. As for Kaoru, we didn't expect him to survive at all, much less wake up. Look at him, he's awake and alert, and already clearing out his lungs."

Hikaru looked at his twin, who was still coughing over a bucket. Kaoru's eyes glanced up between breaths, looking right at Hikaru. He managed a soft smile before coughing again. Hikaru cried again, but this time it was tears of relief. "Thank you!"

Kyoya smiled softly and patted the older twin's head. "Come on, let's give them their space. Are you hungry?" Hikaru nodded and stood, following Kyoya out of the room. As he passed by the other cots, reveling in his happiness, he had to remember that most of the people in here wouldn't be as lucky.

Kyoya got him a biscuit and some broth. Hikaru wolfed it down quickly. Then Kyoya showed him around the base. He showed him the food storage, the supplies, the weapons and gas masks, and even a place where they had started an underground farm. He described how they had routine patrols that went out with gas masks to search for supplies and survivors. He gave him some updates on the state of the outside world.

The storms had stopped, but the clouds remained overhead, thick and black, still rumbling at each other and lighting up the sky with the occasional crack of lightning. The winds were still wild, changing direction every few seconds, and stirring up dust that mixed with the gasses in the air.

The gas. It was gas from the gigantic cracks in the earth that still hadn't closed up and probably wouldn't. It was found to be highly flammable, and usually resided in pockets that moved around with the wind. Telltale signs that a pocket had been found was a slight wavering in the air, like a heat wave, and how it gave everything a faint purple shimmer.

Cities still burned. It seemed like the fires never went out. Wells were the only source of water now, since all the lakes and rivers had long since dried. It was rare to find life on the surface. Most animals had died or burrowed beneath the earth, and the plants were all in flames or reduced to piles of ash. Skeletons of ancient trees stood out on the landscape as a grim reminder of what had come to pass.

They had found a few signs of life resonating from the trees and the cracks in the earth, but they had written it off as a malfunction of equipment.

Little did they know, ignoring these signs was the biggest mistake they ever made.


	6. Chapter 6

"You're a coward, Hikaru." Kaoru's wicked grin was all Hikaru could see in the darkness. His twin's teeth seemed to glow white, like a cheshire cat, and drifted closer, as if it was going to swallow Hikaru whole. "You're a coward, and I never really loved you." Hikaru tried to shout, to tell him he was wrong, to tell him he was crazy, but it was like the air was frozen in his lungs.

Hikaru tried to move, but found that he was chained in a rather painful position. Kaoru stood in front of him. "You hurt me, Hikaru." His voice echoed, and suddenly it was behind Hikaru. "Now, I'll make you pay."

~.~

Hikaru jolted awake with a scream. "Kaoru, no!" Tears streamed down his face and his breathing was erratic. He realized he was still laying beside his brother on the hospital cot. Kaoru rubbed his eyes. His voice was raspy as he questioned "Hikaru? What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Hikaru just nodded and scooted closer to Kaoru, whimpering softly. "Kaoru, you love me, right?" Kaoru nodded and wrapped his arms weakly around the shaken twin. "Of course I do."

Hikaru didn't say anything else, so Kaoru spoke up. "WHat did you dream about?" Hikaru only shook his head. He didn't want to talk about it. Kaoru understood his twin perfectly, as always, and stopped talking.

The days passed and the routine of living in the bunker settled in. Kaoru healed quickly and was soon joining in on the daily activities that kept the band of survivors alive. He wanted to volunteer to go out to find food, but Hikaru wouldn't let him. However, not even Haruhi could stop Tamaki, who absolutely had to be useful or he would go crazy, from joining. Because he was no good at cooking, or cleaning, or much else besides making the others feel good about themselves, he decided that he could at least do the dangerous job that few wanted to do.

And so, every morning they got up early and got to work after breakfast. Haruhi's job was to mend clothes and to make whatever she could out of the scraps. She was very resourceful and managed to clothe most, if not all, of those living in the bunker. Kaoru took up a job in the makeshift hospital, making sure all the patients had water, food, and blankets. Hikaru was a guard of sorts, since he was good at getting people to do what he wanted, and helped solve disputes to keep peace. Kyoya, of course, ran the place and kept everything in order.

Everything seemed to be going well. The storm outside showed no signs of stopping, but they were safe underground.

However, not everyone was happy. Kaoru rarely spent time with Hikaru much anymore, except to sleep, and by then they were too exhausted to talk. They had survived, yes, but neither one of them considered themselves alive. The looks they gave each other when they passed by in the halls and the soft smiles they flashed before falling asleep weren't enough anymore.

There was nothing they could do. They could only watch as they grew farther apart. Kaoru began to grow closer to Haruhi, since she often visited the makeshift hospital. Hikaru and Tamaki talked more, since Hikaru often greeted them at the door for reports to take to Kyoya.

The groups sent out to retrieve food always came back exhausted, and Tamaki was the only one with enough energy left to describe what they had found. Survivors became a rare occurrence, since most would die from starvation and the poisoned air pockets. One day, the group came back early, and empty handed. They reported an awful howling that wasn't wind. After some consideration, Kyoya decided to write it off as exhaustion and gave them the rest of the day to rest.

The next day, they didn't come back.

Kyoya waited a day, and when they didn't come back that morning, he decided to gather a search party.

Kyoya stood in front of all the survivors, cleared his throat, and began to speak. "As you all have surely heard, yesterday's search party has not returned. While I believe it may just be a minor setback, I will still be sending out a volunteer rescue party to find them and bring them home. I'll get straight to the point, I don't know what may be waiting, so I will require men only, no children, and only those in good health. Do I have any volunteers?"

Hikaru's eyes widened as Kaoru raised his hand. Kyoya raised an eyebrow. "Kaoru, I don't think-" "I've recovered completely, and lets be honest, the doctors could use a break from me." Soft, half-hearted laughs flowed through the crowd. Kyoya nodded. "Alright." Kaoru walked over to stand beside the platform Kyoya was standing on.

There was no way Hikaru was letting his twin go alone. He raised his hand and, without a word, weaved through the crowd to stand beside Kaoru. Kyoya nodded and looked out over the crowd. A few more men volunteered. There were five of them in all.

They prepared to leave, putting on gas masks and other gear they needed. There was a thick silence, and unspoken fear among them. None of them knew what was out there.

They were about to find out.


	7. Chapter 7

Okay, I know it's been forever since I updated, but I have inspiration back so I should update more often. Enjoy ^^

* * *

Kaoru's emotions were so wild that he had to struggle to ignore them. He was scared, because of the chaos of the world, he was happy, because Hikaru still loved him, he was relieved, because Haruhi had survived, he was angry, because nothing was getting better, he was anxious, because nothing was getting worse, he was upset, because people died every day and there was nothing he could do; there were a thousand other emotions tearing him up inside like a hurricane.

Kaoru strapped the gas mask to his face and got ready to go hunt for Tamaki and the others. Hikaru was with him, but it was as if Hikaru was just like anyone else. Their world of "us" and "them" had been shattered beyond repair. Kaoru didn't even know who to blame anymore, so he blamed himself. He didn't have a reason, but who else could he blame? It was no longer fair to blame Haruhi, and it was never fair to blame Hikaru, so he settled for taking the blame.

Among all of the other emotions that were tormenting him, guilt was definitely the strongest and most toxic, poisoning him slowly and killing him from the inside.

Kaoru tucked a lighter in his pocket. It wasn't a required item, but for some reason, his intuition told him to take it. Hikaru glanced at him, but didn't ask questions. They, along with the other three, headed out into the chaos that was the real world.

Kaoru felt like the breath had been ripped from his lungs. Was the barren, burning landscape in front of him really his home? This cracked, broken world that looked like something out of a space movie; was this really where he had lived his entire life? Was it always like this? Was he blind to it? Had he always been? No, this was definitely new, because the memory of cherry blossoms and Hikaru's smile as cool water was splashed on him was not a dream.

The earth seemed to crumble beneath Kaoru's feet. In some cases, it actually did, falling away into a bottomless hole the size and shape of his boot. The boots were heavy, and Kaoru wasn't used to them, so before long he was out of breath, but he kept trudging along, because Hikaru didn't look back to see if he was still there. Kaoru knew that Hikaru was probably focused on the ground in front of him, but that didn't stop Kaoru from worrying.

Suddenly, there was a deafening roar, and the ground beneath them shook, falling away in some places. Fortunately, everyone in their party was standing on solid ground. Kaoru fell to his knees and gripped the ground, the sharp rocks digging into his palms, but he held on for dear life as the world fell apart around him once again. That didn't worry him, however. What worried him was that the roar hadn't come from the ground.

The shaking stopped, and Kaoru looked around. Hikaru was lying face down on the ground a few meters away. Kaoru held his breath, and let it out when Hikaru lifted his head. The other three got up slowly. They thought the danger had passed. Oh, how wrong they were.

The ground shook again, but only a little, and at a steady beat. It was like the footsteps of a giant, and it was getting louder. Fear flooded Kaoru, and he looked over his shoulder to see what was causing it. He nearly fell down again at what he saw.

"Shit!" One of the men with them, a burly man with a bushy mustache named Samson (the man, not the mustache) cursed and took a step back. The sound of heavy breathing through gas masks was deafening as the giant thing came closer. It was massive, at least three stories high, and was gnarled and twisted, stooping over since one of its grotesque arms was larger than the other. There were only twisted indentions where eyes were supposed to be, like the eyes had sunken in and the flesh had swollen around them, and there were two gaping, bloody holes where the nose should have been. The mouth was massive, with slimy purple lips and large protruding sharp teeth. There were only long claws where fingers should have been, and the creature was covered in blood, slime, and lord knows what else. The flesh was swollen and red, where it could be seen, but it was unmistakably human.

Kaoru stumbled back as the thing let out another roar, the force was enough to knock him over. Just then, he noticed something in the smaller of its arms. It was none other than Tamaki, though he was bloody, bruised, and quite possibly dead with his gas mask gone. Kaoru felt sick, and not just because of the stench the thing was giving off, like rotting flesh and infection.

"TAMAKI!" Hikaru cried out, rushing forward and jumping over the cracks. Kaoru grabbed his ankle before he could go any farther, making Hikaru fall. A boulder the size of a car flew over their heads, just where Hikaru had been standing moments before. Hikaru trembled as he realized what had just happened.

Samson wasn't so lucky. The bounder meant for Hikaru slammed into the ground right on his left leg. He let out a scream of agony, but no one rushed to his aid. They were busy trying to find cover from the creature's rampage.

Just then, there was a familiar battle cry, and a small figure flew through the sky at the creature. Kaoru crawled over Hikaru and covered his twin's head from the debris that covered them as the creature fell over from the force of the impact just a few meters away. Kaoru made sure their gas masks were still in place. Tamaki landed next to them when the creature got back up and tossed him aside in favour of its attacker. Kaoru crawled over to Tamaki, pressing an ear to his chest. "Is he alive?" Hikaru croaked. Kaoru nodded. "Yes." He took off his own gas mask, taking one last breath, and put it over Tamaki's face. Tamaki's breathing was faint and laboured, but it was there.

Hikaru didn't protest Kaoru removing his mask. He just stared in mute shock. Kaoru looked up and pointed to the figure darting around the creature. "Huni-senpai." He wasted a bit of precious breath. Hope flickered in Hikaru's eyes.

"Yes," a deep voice that was so achingly familiar sounded from just behind them. Kaoru turned back to see Mori-senpai standing over them with his own gas mask on. He also had several in his hand. He handed one to Kaoru, who put it on and took a deep breath, satisfying his aching lungs. Mori knelt over Tamaki, inspecting him. Then he looked up at the infuriated creature. Kaoru followed his gaze.

He noticed a familiar purple haze around the creature, and his mind lit up. He pulled the lighter out of his pocket and shouted "HUNI-SENPAI, GET AWAY FROM IT" at the top of his lungs. The blur darted away, and Kaoru raced towards the thing, calling for its attention. Hikaru let out a weak protest, but Kaoru didn't hear it as he lit the lighter. The creature turned on him. Kaoru's mind went blank and his face twisted into a wicked smirk. His silence was worse than any insult he could have shouted at the beast.

Kaoru raced into the purple cloud, and was soon engulfed in flame.

* * *

Hikaru couldn't believe his eyes. Why was Kaoru running _towards_ the thing instead of away from it? He saw his twin take out a small red piece of plastic from his pocket, but it didn't register in his mind until a moment later. He tried to cry out, to tell him to stop, but only a weak whimper emerged from his lips. He could see the little flame. Then the flame wasn't so little. Hikaru watched helplessly as the creature, along with his brother, was consumed by the explosion.

The explosion blew him back, and he smacked his head on a rock. There was a dull thud beside him as Mori and Tamaki hit the soft ground beside him, but the ringing in his ears was too loud to hear anything. His vision was blurred by tears and a concussion as he weakly tried to lift his head. He could see a figure laying on the ground a few meters away, but he couldn't even lift a hand to help. His body was not his own at the moment. He saw someone kneeling over the charred figure, someone with a blonde head and tattered white clothes. An angel? Was there one coming for him too?

He didn't get to find out as the world went dark and the ringing was replaced by a thunderous silence.


	8. Chapter 8

In Kaoru's opinion, there's nothing worse that being burned alive. Even the agony he had felt over Hikaru's detachment was nothing compared to this. Flame engulfed him and he couldn't even scream. Fortunately, he was blown back and was still alive, unlike the creature he had scorched, but as he lied there with Hani-senpai standing over him, he wondered was it really worth it? Then he heard Hikaru screaming his name and he nodded to himself. _Yes, for him, anything is worth it._

Kaoru had been hoping to pass out. That was what the people in the movies did, right? Passing out after an explosion. Unfortunately, Kaoru was wide awake for every burning moment of his agony. He rolled, trying to get off of the dirt, but his stomach pressed against the ground and he let out a shriek of pain. When Hani-senpai touched him, he screamed again. There was no rest, no break from the pain. Every movement ached and being still burned.

Hani-senpai dragged him along the ground. Kaoru was too weak to do anything but scream and wriggle a bit. He was dragged into a dark place and dunked in a pool of water. It barely registered that a pool of water in the wasteland of the world was impossible, but he wasn't complaining as the cool water soothed his burning skin. Hani-senpai pulled Kaoru's tattered clothes off of him and let him soak in the water, leaving him to help guide the others into the shelter. Kaoru heard the desperate groans of Samson as Mori-senpai reset his broken leg with a sick crack, and he could hear the hysterical babbling of Hikaru. There was the sound of the other men whispering quietly. There was no sound of Tamaki.

Kaoru was aware of Hani-senpai speaking to him, but he couldn't open his eyes. He could feel the blood streaming down every part of him, and on top of being burned, he felt dizzy. "Kao-chan, I'm going to put your head under. Hold your breath." Kaoru did as he was told. The water around him soothed him, and Kaoru was calmed. He still hurt, but the water seemed to hug him and ease away that pain.

Suddenly, his heart longed for Hikaru to hold him. He knew it would hurt, but he wanted desperately to hold Hikaru's hand. He came back above the water, "Hikaru!" Hikaru's babbling ceased. "Kaoru?" "Hikaru, please" he held out his hand in the direction of Hikaru's voice. His eyes wouldn't open, but he could hear just fine. Hani-senpai shushed him, "Kaoru, you need to calm down." Kaoru shook his head, letting out a squeak of pain. "Please, please, Hikaru!" But Hikaru didn't answer. As far as Kaoru was concerned, he was alone in a dark world with burning skin and the stench of blood.

* * *

Hikaru felt like he was going to be sick. The thing in the pool of water couldn't be Kaoru, it just couldn't. Kaoru was bright eyed, with soft skin and fluffy hair, and perfect lips. The man in the water was mangled, charred in some places. Where he wasn't black, he was red and bloody and covered in welts where the skin still clung to him. His eyes were sealed shut by his own blood, and the water around him was crimson with his blood. His hair was burned and matted with blood, and his lips weren't even recognizable as lips until his mouth opened and called out Hikaru's name in a voice that sounded as if he were already dead.

Hikaru began to tremble uncontrollably as Hani-senpai made sure Kaoru stayed in the little pool. It was a miracle that Kaoru was alive, but Hikaru wondered if he would be better off dead. Worse than not being able to recognize his twin was the knowledge that Kaoru was suffering beyond imagination and there was nothing Hikaru could do.

Hani-senpai looked around at the sorry group, and then to Mori-senpai, who nodded. "Alright," Hani-senpai began. "Takashi is going to get you back to Kyo-chan's, but you have to show him the way. I'll stay with Kao-chan until someone comes with bandages and a stretcher, okay?" Even during the apocalypse, he was as cute as ever. Hikaru nodded numbly, and was aware of Mori-senpai pulling him to his feet. He put on his gas mask and trudged back out into the world. He let one of the men lead the way, while the other helped Samson to move. Hikaru held onto Mori's blazer, staring at his feet. One foot in front of the other, thump, thump, thump, little clouds of dust puffing up around his feet as he walked.

Before he knew it, they were being let in to the bunker. Kyoya was calm as always, sending Samson to the medical ward and sending a group out with bandages and a stretcher for Kaoru.

Kaoru. It hit Hikaru that they had left him behind. He couldn't remember why, everything was blurring together. The creature in the pool, had it eaten Kaoru? No, Hikaru remembered, that _was_ Kaoru, and Hikaru had left him all alone.

Hikaru began to sob. He slumped down against the wall behind some stacks of towels and cried into his arms. Guilt crushed him, love crushed him, fear crushed him, anger crushed him, the world was crushing him and there wasn't a damned thing he could do about it. What if Kaoru didn't make it back? There was so much blood, he was already practically a corpse, what if the efforts of Hani-senpai and the others weren't enough?

Well, there wasn't a damned thing he could do but wait and see.


End file.
